Genealogy & Local History

Click on the image or link. A library card is required unless otherwise indicated.

Ancestry Library Edition provides users the ability to research genealogy and family history online. Search record collections, view original documents, and save copies of records via email. For in-library use only. (No library card required!)

Community History Archive allows users to search the full text of Federal Census Bureau records (1830 – 1920), the Woodford Sentinel (1862 – 1890), the Metamora Herald (1889 – 1996), the Washburn Leader (1902 – 1993), the Herald (1970 – 2011), the Roanoke Review (1991 – 2001), and other local newspapers online. (No library card required!)

HeritageQuest Online is a comprehensive database with more than 4.4 billion records, delivering an essential collection of genealogical and historical resources dating back to the 1700s. Records include unique primary sources, local and family histories, convenient research guides, interactive census maps, and more for in-library or at-home use.

Illinois Digital Archives is a repository for the digital collections of the Illinois State Library as well as other libraries and cultural institutions in the State of Illinois. The Archives include photos, documents, and more about Illinois history. (No library card required!)

The Metamora Herald Newspaper Image Collection contains images from The Metamora Herald newspaper (published from 1889 to 2011). The paper covered the Illinois towns of Benson, Cazenovia, Germantown Hills, Low Point, Roanoke, Spring Bay, and Washburn, as well as the Village of Metamora. (No library card required!)

The Woodford Times (2010 – 2019) covered news and events in Metamora, Germantown Hills, Eureka, and the greater Woodford County area. Read full-text articles and search newspaper archives online. Powered by NewsBank.